ZIM v BAN 2021: Shakib Al Hasan says playing with free mindset helped him return to form

Shakib guided Bangladesh to a three-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the second ODI.

Shakib al Hasan scored unbeaten 96 in the second ODI against Zimbabwe | Getty Images

Ace Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan admitted that he was putting too much pressure on himself since returning from his international ban and he needed to make some mental adjustments after guiding his team to a 3-wicket victory in the second ODI against Zimbabwe.

Since returning from his international ban, the all-rounder could manage only 151 runs in 7 ODIs while scored only 71 runs in the two Test matches.

However, Shakib managed to find his form in the second ODI against Zimbabwe, scoring 96* to help Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by three wickets in the second ODI on Sunday take a series-winning 2-0 lead in a three-match ODI series in Harare.

Shakib said after the game, “Naturally I have to work hard but I think the mindset was very important. I thought I was worrying a lot (earlier) which I had changed before this match.”

He added, “There were few things that I did which helped me to concentrate, and I want to focus on that so that my concentration remains that way in the future. I don't think I faced a lot of technical problems after playing for so many years but I face mental problems more often and if I can win the mental game within myself, then I believe it is very much possible to score runs on a regular basis.”

Read Also: ZIM v BAN 2021: WATCH- Brendan Taylor’s bizarre and controversial hit wicket dismissal

On the Harare pitch, the veteran cricketer said: “The wicket was a bit different than the last match, as the ball wasn't coming to the bat, and you had to play shots to score runs, so I had to make a lot of adjustments as a batsman to stay and score runs in that situation.

I'm happy that I was able to make the needed adjustment, and I had taken my time being at the wicket, and as the wickets were falling on a regular basis, there wasn't much to do for me. I'd definitely like to credit [Mohammad] Saifuddin, that he was able to finish the game with me.”

Shakib signed off by saying, “When I was batting I was only telling that if we only could bat up to 45 overs then we can see where we stand, and then 15, 20, or 30 runs can be scored in two to three overs. So we always intended to make the game as close as possible, and we never thought about how many runs we had required, to score them, and we all knew that scoring run-a-ball in the ODIs now is very much possible. We must give Saifuddin his due credit considering the way he batted.”

(With Cricbuzz Inputs)

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 19 Jul, 2021

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